Yuletide Transforms Into a Nightmare for Individuals Living with Sound Sensitivity.
One young woman hopes for spending time with her family over the holidays, but says one of the only ways she'll cope is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, Christmas often feels like a especially challenging time as the auditory triggers of family members munching, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her intense distress.
"I experience this sensation of instant dread, my entire being will just tense up and it as though I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
Lottie has lived with sound sensitivity for several years and for her that makes the Christmas time "deeply taxing".
Misophonia is a decreased threshold to certain sounds, particularly those produced by other people.
It is prevalent across the population. Experts found nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises linked to mouth, throat or facial movements that lead to discomfort, as well as things like chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many various auditory triggers at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you want to avoid it.
"Those close to me are supportive, but I'm very mindful that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a internal conflict of managing my symptoms to make sure the event goes smoothly."
So it's clear why the supposedly joyous season can rapidly become a stressful ordeal for affected individuals.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone drinking champagne, unwrapping gifts, or enjoying festive food can provoke a strong emotional response that can even cause them skipping events entirely.
Jenna, a young adult, who has dealt with misophonia for over a decade, says currently her plan is to put her earphones in to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to minimize distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is worse around people she's most comfortable with, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"The sensation is this intense irritation takes hold, which can feel embarrassing, or I'll feel panicked and immediately start crying and then fight-or-flight will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being oversensitive and overreacting, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are a few methods you can attempt to manage the situation, as suggested by clinical psychologists.
- Picture Something Else: Creative thinking is essential. Attempt to link the particular sound causing distress with a neutral concept. So for example, try to envision someone's slurping is just a waterfall. This technique is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you isn't harmful.
- Make it a Game: Introduce playfulness and turn the annoying sound into a game involving the source. As an example, if someone is eating noisily have a go at mimicking the sound. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is being imposed on you, you become an active participant. And the competition element should help redirect your focus and make you a little less affected.
- Develop a Narrative: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about why the person creating the sound is behaving that way. For example if someone was sniffing, it could be that they're not at their best or maybe they're upset. This approach is re-framing the context of the sound. Although the noise doesn't change, your reaction of it changes from being aggravating, to feeling a slightly more compassionate towards it.
